Conductor assembly



Sept 22? 1970 B. c. DAVIS CONDUCTOR 'ASSEMBLY Filed June 4, 1968 www. bmw

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 339-89 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A coaxial conductor assembly having a terminal portion adapted to function as the male or female unit of a connector. A solid inner conductor is positioned within a cylindrical outer conductor and insulated therefrom. In the female form an axial bore is provided in one end of the inner conductor to receive the pin Contact of a standard male connector unit. In the male form, the inner conductor extends from the outer conductor and is sized to mate with the socket Contact of a standard female connector unit. In both forms, a threaded member is employed to draw the standard unit into contact with the terminal portion of the assembly.

BACKGROUND-SUMMARY-DRAWINGS This invention pertains to conductor assemblies and, more particularly, to coaxial type conductor assemblies having end portions adapted for use as connector units.

When using coaxial type conductors, it is often necessary to employ means for establishing an electrical connection between the coaxial conductor assembly and other devices, such as the input and output terminals of instruments or other apparatus, electrical and electronic components, or other conductors. There are numerous connector devices designed for these purposes, including both male and female units. ,Some are quite complicated and relatively expensive, While others are simple and inexpensive, and all have varying degrees of effectiveness for different purposes. In any event, it is always required to provide both a male and a female connector unit, either of which may serve as an input or output terminal on a piece of apparatus, or as a discrete unit to be physically attached to the terminal portion of a conductor.

The present invention provides a means and a method whereby a terminal portion of a coaxial type conductor, having a solid inner conductor, may be adapted to function either as a male or female connector unit, thus eliminating one of the two units of a conventional connector device. In general, the conductor assembly which is the subject of this invention includes an outer cylindrical metallic sheath which encloses a mass of electrically-insulating material. Embedded within this mass of material an dspaced from the inner surface of the sheath is a solid inner conductor. When a terminal portion of the conductor is modified to function as a female connector unit, an axial bore is formed in the solid inner conductor adjacent the terminal portion of the conductor assembly. This bore is sized to receive, in snug electrical mating relationship, the pin Contact member of a conventional male connector unit. Means are provided on the outer sheath to coact with the male connector unit and draw it into firm contact with the terminal portion of the conductor assembly. When the terminal portion of the conductor assembly is modiiied to function as a 3,53AZ3 Patented Sept. 22, 1970 male connector unit, portions of the sheath and insulating material adjacent the terminal portion are removed so as to expose the end of the inner conductor. The exposed end of the inner conductor is then sized to mate with the socket contact member of a conventional female connector unit. Again, means are provided in association with the sheath to draw the conventional female connector unit into intimate contact with the terminal portion of the conductor assembly. Although the means and method of the present invention are ideally suited for use with a coaxial type conductor assembly having an outer metallic sheath, the invention can also be applied to a coaxial conductor having a braid-type outer conductor, with or without insulation.

A coaxial conductor having such a modified terminal portion can be used with conventional connector units, and can be manufactured at a lower cost than the cost of the replaced connector unit, thus resulting in significant savings. In addition, the means and method of the present invention obviates the necessity for attaching a discrete male or female connector unit to a coaxial conductor, thus resulting in a savings in time and labor costs. Moreover, since the modified terminal portion of the coaxial conductor is integral with the conductor assembly, the possibility of electrical or mechanical failure resulting from poor workmanship is substantially eliminated.

A fuller understanding and appreciation of the foregoing features of the present invention will be gained from consideration of the following description and claims, with particular reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a coaxial conductor assembly having a terminal portion modified in accordance with the present invention, showing a conventional male connector unit in mating relationship therewith; and

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a terminal portion of a coaxial conductor assembly modified to function aS a male connector unit, shown in premating relationship to the conductor assembly of FIG. l.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawing, FIG. l shows a terminal portion 10 of a coaxial conductor assembly 12 constructed in accordance with the present invention. A conventional male connector unit 14, attached to another type of coaxial conductor 16, is shown in mating relationship with the conductor assembly 12.

The conductor assembly 16 is of conventional type, having an inner solid wire conductor 18 surrounded by a layer of insulating material 20. Formed about the insulating material 20 is a cylindrical braid-type conductor 22 which in turn is surrounded by an outer layer of insulating material 24. The conductor 16 is attached to the conventional male connector unit 14, which consists essentially of an interiorly threaded nut 26, an exteriorly threaded nut 28, a crimping member 30, a threaded contact sleeve 32, and a pin contact member 34 connected to a plug 36. The nuts 26 and 28, the crimping member 30, the contact members 32 and 34, and the plug 36 are all formed of metal, so as to be effective conductors of electricity; although the nuts could be of nonconductive material, and the sleeve could be insulated, if desired.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the insulating material 20 is stripped away from a portion of the inner conductor 18 of the coaxial conductor 16. In like manner, the

braided conductor 22 terminates short of the end of the insulating material 20, and the outer layer of insulating material 24 is stripped away to expose a portion of the braided conductor. One end 38 of the crimping member is crimped over to hold the braided conductor 22 tightly against the inner layer of insulation 20, thus providing a firm mechanical connection between the coaxial conductor 16 and the connector unit 14, and further providing a positive electrical connection between the braided conductor 22 and the crimping member 30. A tapered threaded end portion 40 of t'he contact sleeve 32 is held tightly against the crimping -member 30 by the action of the nut 26. Thus, electrical current is free to pass from the braided connector 22 through the crimping member 30 and into the sleeve contact member l32.

The exposed end portion of the inner conductor 18 is inserted into an aperture 42 in the plug 36, th-us providing for the passage of electrical current from the inner conductor 18 to the pin contact member 34. The plug 36 is electrically insulated and spaced fromthe interior surface of the contact sleeve 32 by a pair of centrally located insulating sleeves 44 and by a forward sleeve 46. In addition, the plug 36 is kept from electrical contact with the crimping member 30 by means of a rearwardly placed insulating sleeve 48. The exteriorly threaded nut 28 serves to draw the male connector unit 14 into intimate electrical and mechanical contact with the terminal portion 10 of the conductor assembly 12, as described below.

The conductor assembly 12 includes an outer metallic sheath which surrounds a mass of electrically insulating material 52. Embedded within the insulating material 52 is a solid wire inner conductor 54. Although the insulating material 52 can be of any suitable type, in a metallic sheathed conductor assembly it is preferably a densely compacted layer of ceramic material. Also, the outer sheath 50 might be surrounded by insulation, and the sheath itself could be of braided construction.

lFormed in one end of the solid inner conductor 54, adjacent the terminal portion 10 of the conductor assembly 12, is an axial 'bore S6. The bore 56 is preferably formed by drilling, and is sized to snugly receive the pin contact member 34 of the male connector unit 14. Fixed to the outer surface of the sheath 50 is a stop member 58 which serves to provide a stop means or bearing surface for an interiorly threaded nut 60. The stop member 58 may be a separate element attached to the sheath 50 by welding or other suitable means, or may be integrally formed from the sheath material (Where the sheath 50 is of nonbraided construction) by swaging or other pror cedures. In instances where it is desired to cover the sheath 50 Iwith insulating material, the stop member 58 may be attached by mechanical crimping, gluing or other suitable methods.

The nut 60 adjacent the terminal portion 10 of the conductor assembly 12 is threaded to mate with the exterior threads on the nut 28, so as to draw the male connector unit 14 into intimate contact with the terminal portion 10. Thus, the annular end 62 of the sleeve contact member 32 is forced into rm contact `with the annular end 64 of the s'heath 50, and the pin contact member 34 is drawn into the axial bore 56 in the inner conductor 54. In this manner, the male connector unit 14 is firmly connected mechanically to the terminal portion 10 of the conductor assembly 12 and electrical connection is established between the inner conductor 18 and the inner conductor '54, and between the outer conductor 22 and the sheath 50.

Thus it is seen that the present invention eliminates one of the two units of a conventional coaxial connector device. This elimination of the conventional female connector unit, in the assembly shown in FIG. l, is particularly significant where the conductor assembly 12 includes a nonbraided outer sheath 50, since installation of conventional connector units on this type of conductor assembly typically requires welding, brazing or soldering to effect a reliable Connection. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the male connector unit 14 could be of any conventional type, and might well constitute the input or output terminals of an instrument or other piece of electrical or electronic apparatus. In addition, the connector unit 14 might be of a conventional female type, in lwhich case the male form of the present invention would be employed, as is described below.

FIG. 2 illustrates a terminal portion 110 of a conductor assembly slightly separated from the terminal portion 10 of a conductor assembly 12 which is similar in all respects to the conductor assembly 12 depicted in FIG. l. The terminal portion 110 of the conductor assembly 120, as shown in FIG. 2, is adapted to function as a male connector unit. An outer metallic sheath surrounds a mass of electrically insulating material 152, in which is embedded a solid inner conductor 154. Portions of the outer sheath 150 and the insulating material 152 have been removed adjacent the terminal portion 110, so that the end of the inner conductor 154 is exposed. The exposed end of the inner conductor 154 has been worked to form a pin contact member 156 which is sized to mate with the axial bore 56 in the end of the inner conductor 54 of the conductor assembly 12. The pin contact member 1'56 may be formed -by swaging, drawing or other suitable metal-working techniques. A stop member 158 is iixed to the outer surface of the sheath 150, and serves to provide a stop means for an exteriorly threaded nut 160.

The nut 160 is threaded to mate with the interior threads on the nut 60 of the conductor assembly 12. Thus, when the nuts 60 and 160 are threaded together, the pin contact member 156 is drawn into the axial bore 56, and the annular end 164 of the sheath 150 is brought into intimate contact With the annular end 64 of the sheath 50. In this manner, the conductor assemblies 12 and 120 are iirmly connected mechanically, and the sheath 50v and inner conductor 54 of the conductor assembly 12 are maintained in respective electrical contact with the sheath 150 and inner conductor 154 of the conductor assembly 120.

Those familiar with the art will understand that the conductor assembly 120 depicted in FIG. 2 may be used not only to provide electrical interconnection with the conductor assembly 12, but may also be used with conventional female connector units which are attached to coaxial conductors, or with female-type terminals on electrical or electronic apparatus Ior components. Again, as in the case of the conductor assembly 12 having a terminal portion 10 adapted to function as a female connector unit, the conductor assembly 120 eliminates one half of a conventional female-male coaxial connector mated pair and eliminates the necessity for complicated or troublesome installation.

Although an embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention has been described with the requisite particularity, the disclosure is of course only exemplary. Consequently, numerous changes in details and methods of construction, in size, configuration and arrangement of components and materials, and in modes of application will be apparent to those familiar with the art and may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adapting a terminal portion of a coaxial conductor assembly to function as a male connector unit, said conductor assembly comprising a solid inner conductor surrounded by a mass of insulating material confined within a cylindrical outer conductor, comprising the steps of: removing a portion of said outer conductor and said insulating material adjacent a terminal portion of said conductor assembly to expose a portion of said inner conductor; necking down said exposed portion of said inner' conductor to mate with the socket contact member of a female connector unit; and mounting upon said outer conductor means for drawing said female connector unit into intimate Contact with said terminal p0rtion.

2. A method for connecting two coaxial conductors wherein a terminal portion of said rst coaxial conductor assembly functions as a male connector unit and a terminal portion of said second coaxial conductor assembly functions as a female connector unit, each of said conductor assemblies comprising a solid inner conductor surrounded by a mass of insulating material confined within a cylindrical outer conductor, comprising the steps of 2 removing a portion of said first outer conductor and said rst insulating material adjacent a terminal portion of said rst conductor assembly to expose a portion of said first inner conductor;

forming said exposed portion of said rst inner conductor to mate with said female connector unit of said second conductor assembly;

forming an axial bore in one end of said second inner conductor adjacent said terminal portion, said bore being sized to receive said first male connector unit; and mounting upon said outer conductor means for drawing said male connector unit into intimate contact with said female connector unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. l74-88; 339-177 

